


Not Forbodium

by VoidLeviathan



Series: Professor Layton One-Shots and other fun things [1]
Category: Layton Brothers: Mystery Room
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fear of Death, Hurt/Comfort, Night Terrors, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Wordcount: 100-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:21:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22884697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoidLeviathan/pseuds/VoidLeviathan
Summary: "Hey Alfendi it's me, Lucy Baker. I'm not going to hurt you but I need to know if touch is okay. Could you nod for me?"The inspector shook his head frantically, hands still aggressively pulling at the front of his shirt. It wasn't wet. Lucy was here. Why did he still feel in such danger? Where was he?
Relationships: Lucy Baker & Alfendi Layton
Series: Professor Layton One-Shots and other fun things [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1644970
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	Not Forbodium

**Author's Note:**

> I had an anxiety attack and then wrote a fic to cope after the fact and this is the outcome of that.
> 
> On that note: The entire fic is written about Potty Prof. and Placid is only mentioned.

Alfendi woke with a jolt, his eyes wide with fear as his brain made an attempt to convince him he wasn't where he'd just thought he was. Hands quickly gripped at his chest, pulling desperately at the fabric. 

_ 'Wet. Is it wet?' _ He asked himself,  _ 'What of Lucy? Where-' _

"Al? You okay?" Came a voice from behind him. When Alfendi's breath grew more frantic Lucy immediately picked up the signs of his growing anxiety attack. Very carefully she walked around the office couch, kneeling down in his line of sight. "Hey Alfendi it's me, Lucy Baker. I'm not going to hurt you but I need to know if touch is okay. Could you nod for me?"

The inspector shook his head frantically, hands still aggressively pulling at the front of his shirt. It wasn't wet. Lucy was here. Why did he still feel in such danger? Where was he?

"Alright I won't touch you until you're ready. Can you try and breathe for me instead? Like we always practiced right? In four, hold five, out four." 

Alfendi followed as ordered. His first few breaths raddled with the added anxiety, but as they continued Lucy could safely say for the most part her partner was breathing as normal as one could in this situation. Eventually Alfendi stopped pulling at his shirt, his hands instead moving to either arm. He gripped desperately at the sleeves with a sliver of hope that it would finally ground him.

Lucy marked this as at least  _ one _ accomplishment thus far. "How about touch now? Is it safe?"

The nod was ever so small but Lucy got the message. Carefully, oh so carefully, she took his hands into her own. The gesture was small but to Alfendi it meant more than a hundred words.

Alfendi understood.

"This isn't…."

"Forbodium Castle? Luckily not Al." Lucy smiled sympathetically, "We're in the office remember? You said you were feeling weird and Placid wouldn't show so I told you to try and get some sleep on the couch."

"So...not Forbodium...we're safe?" Alfendi's grip in Lucy's hands grew tighter. "I don't know why I…"

"We all have unfortunate night terrors Al. I wouldn't expect you to be any different. Sure the events happened four or five years ago now, but it's never easy to forget being shot." 

"No...no it's not." Alfendi wanted nothing more than to finally forget that case. To forget the fear and betrayal it made the weary professor feel. He wished oh so much that it never happened. Not then, not again. 

Why did his face feel wet?

"Alfendi if you wanna cry I'm not going to judge you."

Ah. That's why his face felt wet. He was crying. When was the last time he even actually cried? Now, apparently.

Without much warning or thought, Alfendi hastily pulled Lucy into a hug. He held her tight as if letting Lucy go would only cause the world to fall apart around him. He needed to be sure that, even with her assurance, she was as real as she said. That even if things felt right now, it was all real and he wasn't just part of some sick twisted dream he was having back in a hospital.

He felt as if he was falling apart and Lucy was the only thing keeping him grounded. 

"Thank you Lucy. I don't say it enough. I know Placid always does but I...I don't appreciate just how much help you've been since….gosh Lucy I-I was so worried that she'd kill you. That she'd kill me and-" Alfendi's voice cracked, more tears forcing their way into the world while he buried his face into his partner's shoulder. "That dream...I thought you…"

"I'm right here Al." Lucy gently cooed, "I don't plan on going anywhere any time soon even if you  _ are _ a bit of a stick in the mud sometimes."

Alfendi stifled a small laugh. "Even in times so desperate you never fail to impress me." He whispered. "I'm…"

"Please don't apologize again. Just...promise me you'll talk to me if somethings up next time? That goes for being threatened  _ or  _ feeling weird about the last couple of months, okay?"

"Okay...yeah I can do that."

"Good!" Lucy grinned, finally pulling away from the hug once she was sure the inspector was stable enough for it. "Now! I am absolutely famished and I can only assume you feel the same way after that ordeal. How about we call it a night and head over to my place with some takeout?"

Alfendi simply nodded. The rest of the night went about as smooth as it could for the two of them. A couple bad cop movies, some junk food, and a few more sessions of crying left both of them exhausted by midnight. 

While Alfendi finally let the exhaustion win him over, Lucy kept herself awake for another hour in order to keep an eye on her dear friend. She couldn't always make him feel better. Some anxiety attacks would be worse than others and it would only take time until he truly felt right again, but Lucy knew she'd always be there for him no matter the situation.

**Author's Note:**

> Minor errors will be fixed as I pick up on them I promise.


End file.
